How to Build a Wooden Sandbox

Sand for a sandbox should be pre-sifted to ensure it includes no jagged pieces.

A sandbox is a small pit of sand, often in a backyard or at a playground, where children can dig and play. Thought to have originated with Friedrich Froebel, the founder of kindergarten, sandboxes used to be called sand tables or sand gardens. These pits of sand were designed to keep children out of trouble by occupying them with a relatively inexpensive and simple place to play. The sand was originally kept damp to keep dust down and make it easier to mold.

Things You'll Need

• Shovel
• 4-by-4-inch cedar timbers, 12
• 6-inch timber screws, 12
• Scraps of 2-by-4 wood
• Landscape fabric
• Sand

Instructions

1. Subtract 3 1/2 inches from the length you want each side of the sandbox to be, and cut each timber to that size. The timbers will fit end-to-side, and four-by-four timbers are actually 3 1/2 inches thick.

2. Lay out four timbers to form the square outline of the sandbox. Mark the inside and outside edge of the square by cutting vertically into the ground with your shovel.

3. Remove the timbers. Dig out the center of the box, about 6 inches down. Add sand around the interior perimeter of the newly dug hole, about 1 inch deep and 4 inches wide. This will be what the timbers rest on.

4. Arrange the timbers on the sand so that they form a perfect square. Tap the timbers down until they are level.

5. Lay the next four timbers on top of the first four timbers, arranging them in the opposite direction so that the ends create a lapped pattern. Drill the 6-inch timber screws through the top layer of timbers every 3 feet around the box.

6. Line the bottom of the box with landscape fabric, pushing the fabric against all the edges and letting it overlap the second layer of timbers.

7. Lay the last four timbers so that the corners overlap again. Drill them in with the timber screws and cut off the excess fabric.

8. Fill the center with as much sand as your box needs. Cover it with a tarp to prevent animals from getting in.

References

• This Old House: How to Build a Simple Sandbox
• Playground Designs: A Brief History of the Sandbox